Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2019 11-05 CC MINBook 101 / Page 192 11-05-2019 MINUTES OF THE SPECIAL MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NATIONAL CITY STRATEGIC PLANNING WORKSHOP November 5, 2019 The Special Meeting of the City Council of the City of National City was called to order at 4:03 p.m. by Mayor / Chairwoman Alejandra Sotelo-Solis. ROLL CALL Council / Board members present: Morrison, Quintero, Rios, Sotelo-Solis. Council / Board members absent: Cano. Administrative Officials present: Aguirre, Dalla, Denham, Duong, Manganiello, Meteau, Morris -Jones, Raulston, Roberts, Tellez, Vergara, Williams. Others present: City Treasurer Mitch Beauchamp. INTRODUCTION City Manager Brad Raulston gave opening remarks and an overview of the presentation and introduced guest presenter, John Gavares from The Gavares Group. PRESENTATION Mr. Gavares provided a thorough open-ended discussion on the Strategic Planning presentation, survey results, and focus area goals. NOTE: All presentation materials are attached as Exhibit "A". CITY COUNCIL AND STAFF COMMENTS AND DIRECTION Mayor Sotelo-Solis said that out of the 7 Strategic Focus Areas, she specifically likes the "Balanced Budget and Economic Development" and "Community and Outreach" areas. Member Rios expressed her thoughts on "Debate v. Dialogue" and said that the Community Survey captured a lot of what she was hearing from the public and stated that there needs to be more community engagement. She also likes the "Transportation Choices and Infrastructure" focus area and said that it is a key issue in the community. Member Rios said that Customer Service is also important to recognize and improve on. As for the Public Safety survey, she said it reinforces those things that still need to be improved. Member Quintero looks forward to seeing the continuation of the Strategic Plan process. Vice Mayor Morrison said that he appreciates Dialogue and Debate being divided. He spoke on barriers with getting communication out there, but said that the survey gave a starting point to address issues. Book 101 / Page 193 11-05-2019 CITY COUNCIL AND STAFF COMMENTS AND DIRECTION (cont.) Vice Mayor Morrison said that without a Balanced Budget, you don't have Public Safety. He said he would've liked to see Housing and Homelessness differentiated. Member Rios said that the top three focus areas: Public Safety (Police and Fire); Housing and Homelessness; and Health and Environment, reflects quality of life and stands out for people in their neighborhoods. She said that Balanced Budget goes hand in hand with the services that are provided in the City. Member Rios is interested to know specifically how Balanced Budget got to the top five focus areas because she feels people interpret questions differently. City Manager Raulston said that part of the reason Balanced Budget was combined with Economic Development is because it was clear that the community wants Economic Development to balance the budget. He stressed the importance of focusing most on the four Goals: 1) Maximize Economic Development Strategies; 2) Partner with Other Public Agencies and Non -Profits to Increase Revenue and Augment Services; 3) Manage Pension and Other Employee Expenses; and 4) Optimize City Assets and Lease Property when Appropriate. Vice Mayor Morrison said he was surprised at the low number of empty lots there are in comparison to other cities. He doesn't think the public has a good awareness of the pension crisis confronting the City. He thinks that Goal No. 4 sounds great but isn't sure how much more can be done on that one. City Manager Raulston said that he was surprised to see the Empty Lot Activation on the survey and said it probably would've been better worded as Underutilized Lots. He thinks that property use should be approached as a ground lease versus a sale so that it is an ongoing revenue source. Mayor Sotelo-Solis said that the community is excited about the possibilities of what can be done with the empty Tots. She said that our public is aware of the pension concerns and it is a big issue. Mayor Sotelo-Solis stressed the importance of committing to the pension fund. Director of Finance Mark Roberts said that things like Economic Development are more difficult to quantify. Member Rios said that it is important to get information out to create more community engagement. City Manager Raulston said that the job of staff is to provide services and the job of the City Council is to provide input by going out into the community and listening to the constituents and providing that input to staff. Mayor Sotelo-Solis said that the goal to Increase Meaningful Outreach through Quality Engagement) is a feel -good term and needs measurable outcomes. Book 101 / Page 194 11-05-2019 CITY COUNCIL AND STAFF COMMENTS AND DIRECTION (cont.) For Goal No. 3 (Improve Emergency Preparedness and Public Noticing) she said that it is important for training within the City and with other agencies such as school districts and the Port. Member Quintero said that all of the Communication and Outreach Goals are rooted in marketing and said that events should be thoughtfully produced in a timely manner if you want to create a quality event. Mayor Sotelo-Solis is glad to see the Climate Action Plan as one priority for Health, Environment & Sustainability. Member Rios wants to know more of what the goal might look like to Support a Healthy Community through Active Living and Healthy Eating. She would like to see exercise stations at City parks and Health and Education Hubs at some transit stops. City Manager Raulston explained what it means by Age -Friendly Community. He said that exercise stations have already been implemented at El Toyon Park. Director of Finance Mark Roberts said that it requires a lot of discussion on how to create Health and Education Hubs. Mayor Sotelo-Solis said that project ideas are already out there but it's about finding being very selective. Member Rios would like to see more policy that makes property owners take more responsibility for properties being rented out to keep them affordable. She said that there is conflict with preserving historical homes and making homes available and affordable; that there has to be work in balancing this out. Member Quintero addressed concerns with practicality in regards to housing and community development goals; he feels that the Strategic Planning Workshop will be more of a historic document in the future. Mayor Sotelo-Solis said that it's about revitalization without gentrification or displacement and to be obligated to all income levels; new residents means new demand on services. Director of Housing Authority Carlos Aguirre spoke on the importance of taking into consideration the residents that may be impacted when it comes to property rehabilitation and affordability with increasing rents; the housing and security problem needs to be looked at as a spectrum. Member Rios said that we should make sure that other entities are engaged in the City's community programs and events. Book 101 / Page 195 11-05-2019 CITY COUNCIL AND STAFF COMMENTS AND DIRECTION (cont.) Member Quintero said that it is a good opportunity to partner with existing businesses and mega corporations that call National City home and moving forward to get engaged with the community outside of the government and provide funding in a reliable way. Mayor Sotelo-Solis spoke on leveraging regional support and thinking outside of the box in terms of smart technology, etc., within the City and other municipalities. Member Rios spoke on the importance of all Public Safety Goals. Mayor Sotelo-Solis said that there should be more Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) ready members in regards to Public Safety and spoke on community engagement and pipeline programs for ex -prisoners. Member Quintero said that the Public Safety goals are responsive and the strategies are somewhat preventative; he suggested to look more towards prevention and control rather than police outcomes. Chief of Emergency Services Frank Parra announced the following: a new CERT class offered in January 2020; Listos (Spanish Emergency Preparedness Class); a Stop the Bleed campaign which correlates with the (Automated External Defibrillators) AED Program; a new campaign for 4th grade elementary school students; and a new 2019 partnership with Point Loma Nazarene University to offer flu vaccinations (the County of San Diego supported the City with flu vaccines) and diabetes screenings. Chief of Police Jose Tellez stated that the City has reduced crime by 26% since 2015; but that involved a lot of prevention pieces. He stated the importance of extending knowledge to the community and how to help churches by reviewing their safety plans and provide active shooter training to their staff. Chief Tellez said that there are still areas of improvement to work on in regards of developing something for the teenagers and young adults in the community. Member Rios said that transportation is really an important subject and that the community needs to be a part of it or the decisions will be made without the community's input. She praised the Engineering Department for their role in traffic calming improvements in the City and piggybacking on other agencies or Cities with purchases and projects. Vice Mayor Morrison suggested looking into other available options in regards to traffic and road improvements. Mayor Sotelo-Solis said that the City is one of the highest dollar receiving agencies in the State of California for the "Safe Routes to School" grants and said that, in regards to transportation, it's about changing mindsets and thinking about the narrative. City Manager Raulston said in regards to infrastructure, that measurable targets will be set aside and brought to the Council on an annual basis. Book 101 / Page 196 11-05-2019 CITY COUNCIL AND STAFF COMMENTS AND DIRECTION (cont.) Director of Engineering/Public Works Steve Manganiello said that there were a lot of good points made by the Council and supports their feedback and the transportation goals. He said that there is money in active transportation and that money is leveraged for repairing streets, etc. City Manager Raulston summarized by stating that the intent is to adopt the Strategic Plan by the end of the year through a resolution which starts the budget process and the budget is the policy document to have a work plan that connects to the Strategic Plan to efficiently and effectively manage City resources. PUBLIC COMMENTS Joan Rincon, National City. suggested that the City focus on preventing additional homelessness issues. Jacqueline Reynoso, National City Chamber of Commerce, encouraged the City to participate in a Comprehensive Marketing Plan, formalize community partnerships; to consider incentive programs in partnership with regional partners; to invest more time into the Climate Action Plan, and to look into other opportunities to tie into Business Licenses for economic development. Christine Stein, National City, suggested that recreation areas for teenagers be included as part of residential development plans and she shared her concerns regarding street safety issues. ADJOURNMENT Next Regular City Council Meeting: Tuesday. November 5, 2019 - 6:00 p.m., City Council Chambers, Civic Center — National City, California. The meeting closed at 6:04 p.m. Cit Clerk The foregoing minutes were approved at the Regular Meeting of February 18, 2020.